Fresh
It is an elaborately staged tableau, a dazzling use of the camera to achieve essentially theatrical effects. And judged on that basis, Richard Attenborough has given us a breathtaking evening.
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com
Oh! What a Lovely War
The ever popular war games. With songs, battles & a few jokes.
1969 · 2h 24m · G
Comedy, Music, War
Directed by
Richard Attenborough
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Oh! What a Lovely War
Overview
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the five boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.
Director and cast
- Richard Attenborough Director
- Laurence Olivier as Field Marshal Sir John French
- Vanessa Redgrave as Sylvia Pankhurst
- Maggie Smith as Music Hall Star
- John Mills as Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig
- Corin Redgrave as Bertie Smith
- Maurice Roëves as George Smith
- Ian Holm as President Poincare
- Juliet Mills as Nurse
- Michael Bates as Drunk Lance Corporal
- Edward Fox as Aide
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
79%
Tomatometer
Rotten
An often too-clever, sometimes moving piece.
Chris Petit, Time Out
Rotten
[Attenborough] has chosen to make a big, elaborate, sometimes realistic film whose elephantine physical proportions and often brilliant all-star cast simply overwhelm the material with a surfeit of good intentions.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Fresh
Dedicated, exhilarating, shrewd, mocking, funny, emotional, witty, poignant and technically brilliant.
Variety Staff, Variety
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